Seal-press.



M. s. Lfiv.

-SEAL PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- l5. I914.

1,209,%58., I Patented De0.19,1916.

WITNE55E5 INVENTEIH i. ATEN anion.

MARCUS S. LEVE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

sEAL-rnnss. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1218.

Application filed September 15, 1914.. Serial No. 861,779.

, seal presses, used for the purpose of aflixing a name and address to letters, envelops, legaldocuments, maps, drawings and other papers.

Seal presses as heretofore made, were suited to be applied at the bottom of the sheet, not very far away from the edge, and when so aflixed the letters would face in the right direction, running up and down, the reading being from the left to the right; when, however, it is desired to placethe seal at the top of the sheet, the paper has to be turned around so as to bring the top of the paper under the seal, and when an impression is so taken it will be found that the letters are running upside down, ing being from right to left.

The object of this invention is to provide a device whereby the seal could be stamped at the top, the bottom, or at either side of the sheet, preserving the same all-the while the direction of the reading of the letters.

In the accompanying drawings, which form' part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seal press, showing the dies fully open; Fig. 2 is a top plan of thepress; Fig. 3 a longitudinal'section of the press, showing the position of parts when the'dies are clo'sed; Fig. 4 is a detail of the die holder, shown in perspective; Fig.

5 is an end view of the press; and Fig. (i a detail of one of the dies, shown in perspec .tive.

1 is the frame of the press, shown to be formed of a piece of small steel channel, bent. into. a U shape, forming the branches 2 and 3., A handle dis rigidly secured to branch 2. Between. said branches is placed the die holder 5, which consists of a strip of spring metal, broadened out near the ends, to form the die supporting plates -.6 and 7. The die holder 5 is bent at the middle, so as to bring the die supporting plates to face one another, and to extend some distance apart. Pivoting' holes 8 and 9 are the read- T'he dies 10 and 11 are made of fiat plates;

they may have any shape, according to requirements. At the back-they carry the pivoting pins 12 and 13, placed at their middle.

The dies are mounted on the die supporting plates 6. and 7, by having the pins 12 and 13 made to pass through the pivoting holes 8 and 9, to become secured by the collars 14 and 15. The pins 12 and 13 are fitted in the pivoting holes 8 and 9, so as to rotate freely, permitting the dies to take any angle.

The die supporting plates 6 and 7 carry the latches 16, which are formed of strips of spring metal, having one end rounded up and bent at right angles, to form the catches 17. The latches are secured to the backs of the die supporting plates, the

catches 17 being made to pass through the slots 18, cut in said plates, and-to project some distance beyond the inner faces, so as to enter the depressions 19, cut in the back of each of the dies, locking said dies and said die supporting plates together. The spacing of the depressions 19 on the upper and lower dies is to be such as to cause them always to register one with the other, when the catches are locked.

In the drawings the latches 16 are shown to be secured ,to the die supporting plates near the pivoting pins, the catches 17 extending outward; but it is understood that they could just as well be placed in the reverse direction, the catches 17 facing toward the ivoting pins. The depressions 19 at the l iack of each of the dies are shown in Fig. 6 who two in number, situated one opposite the other, corresponding withthe two opposite locking positions of the dies; but a greater number of. depressions may be cut in the backs of the dies, to register with a ater number .of positions, if so desired.

The die su portingv plate 7 carries a shoe to'it by-means of the screw .23; a hole 24 is out out in the web of the shoe, to permit the collar 15 to pass. lln assembling the recs, the die holder 5 is placed inside the rame 1 between the branches 2 and 3, and'is fastened to the lower branch 2 by means of the screw 20. A hole 21 is cut in branch 2, to

permit. the collar 14 to enter. An operating lever 25 is pivoted to the shoe 22 opposite the middle of the 'die 11, by means of the pin 26. Another pin 27, carried by the operating lever 25, is made to'engage a roller 28, working on the pin 29 at the end of the branch 3 of the frame.

The operation of the press is as follows: Commencingwith the position of parts as shown in Fig. 3, where the dies are closed, by bringing the operating lever 25 and the handle 4 nearer together, the pin 27, carried by the operating lever, rests against the face of the roller 28, while the resilient action of the compressed die holder 5 forces the pivoting pin 26 upward, thus tending to swing said operating lever upward, against the force holding it near the handle 4. When the said force will be released-the operating lever will swing around the pivoting pin 26 until the pin 27 will come in contact with the depresion 30 on the flanges of the shoe 22, when the swinging will cease, and the lever will be held firm in the position shown in Fig. 1. To bring the dies together, the operating lever 25, resting with the pin '27, against the roller 28, is brought closer to the handle 4, causing .the pivoting pin 26 to press down the shoe 22, and thus bring the dies together. The pin 27, through the whole course of swinging of the operating lever 25 downward, is held in contact with the surface of the antifriction roller 28, moving along together with that surface to the right, thus constantly diminishing the T lever arm of the moment of resistance, and

When the dies are close together, the said lever arm becomes very small, enablingthe operator to apply a very great pressure between the dies by a small exertion on the operating lever. The action of the operating lever being all the while applied to the pin 26, situated opposite the middle of the moving die 11, the resulting pressure on the die will be very evenly distributed, and the impression of the seal will be very uniform. The dies are easily reversed by taking hold of the opposite ends beyond the die supporting plates, and giving them a turn 1n either direction with some force, when the rounded ends of the catches 17 will slide out from the depressions, 19, and the dies will become unlocked and capable of turning until another .pair of depress ions, corresponding to another setting, will come opposite the latches, when the latter'will at once drop into said newly brought depressions,

and cause the dies to become locked in this new position.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a seal press a pair of cooperating dies, a pair of die holders adapted to guide said dies, means for pivoting said dies to said holders, so as to permit the former to turn in their own planes, means for locking said dies totheir respective holders and operating means adapted to bring said dies together.

2. In a seal press a. frame provided with upper and lower branches, a die holder comprising a pair of die supporting plates held together by a connecting resilient portion, one of said plates being rigidly secured to the lower branch of said frame, while the second plate is being forced toward the upper branch by the said resilient portion, an

operating lever pivoted to said second plate at its middle and carrying a pin which bears against the said upper branch, when the lever is being operated, and which is held firm between the said branch and the top of said second plate when the lever is at rest in its upward position, and a pair of cooperating dies carried by the said die supporting plates. 1 v

3. In a seal press a frame provided with upper and lower branches, a pair of cooperating dies, the lower die being secured to the lower branch of said frame, means for guiding the upper die and an operating lever pivoted to said upper die and carrying a pin adapted to slide in contact with the upper branch of said frame.

MARCUS s. LEVE.

Witnesses:

BERNARD DOMAN, J AMES PARKER. 

